Back references from Author in Story for Expert Profile: Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

India Impacted by the Great Geopolitical Churn

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Any attempt towards predicting the emerging world order is more likely to be incorrect. The geopolitical churn is so immense and future so fundamentally incomprehensible that it will be well served to desist from dire prognostications. The era is cau

March 15, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, Article, India, US, China, Russia, economy, sanctions, Ukraine, Oil, G20, Covid, defence budgets

Imperatives for Reconsideration of the Armed Forces Doctrines

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Modern warfare dictates different Services and indeed different components of national power to be brought together intelligently to achieve unity of command and unity of effort. Modern warfare is also extremely complex, and no two wars can be stated

February 20, 2023 National Security and Strategic Studies, International Relations and Diplomacy, Defence, China, Article, China, CDS, Air dominance, Joint Doctrine, Service specific doctrines, Theatre Commands

Disentangling the Perceptions of ‘Grey Zone Warfare’!

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

One of our most serious problems today is defining what war is. Historically, war and warfare have rigid definitions, and national security and military doctrines, the capabilities and structures are designed to respond to those definitions. Wars wer

February 08, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, China, Article, LAC, Sun Tzu, no war no peace, Grey Zone warfare

Contemplating Deterrence by ‘Integrated Missile and Rocket Force’

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I’m here! Dongfeng Express at your service!” is what Peoples Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) wrote in February 2019, in its first post on Sina Weibo, the Chinese Twitter. PLARF took the name “Dongfeng Express,

January 11, 2023 National Security and Strategic Studies, Defence, Article, Artillery, BrahMos, SSM, Prithvi, PLARF, deterrence, IMRF, Pralay, SFC

Lessons of Ukraine War, and Applicability on India

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Since it began, the Russia-Ukraine has thrown up an overabundance of geopolitical, geo-economic and geostrategic lessons. It is humbling to note that the lessons of 2021 were in total variance with those of 2022. India has learnt significant geostra

January 03, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, Russia, Article, India, Russia, War, Peace, Ukraine, Lessons, strategic ambiguity, economic interdependence

20वीं पार्टी कांग्रेस के बाद पी एल ए "युद्ध लड़ने और जीतने के युद्ध की तैयारी"

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

बहुप्रतीक्षित चीनी 20वीं राष्ट्रीय पार्टी कांग्रेस हमारे पीछे है और राष्ट्रीय पीपुल्स कांग्र�

December 14, 2022 International Relations and Diplomacy, China, Hindi, Article, चीन, कांग्रेस, तिब्बत, पी एल ए, राष्ट्रपति जिनपिंग

Inapt ‘Perceptions’ and Elusive ‘Peace and Tranquillity’

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Dai Bingguo, then State Councillor, Director of the General Offices of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Group of the CCP’s Central Committee and Special Representative (SR) for boundary negotiations with India from 2003 to 2013 had stated

December 14, 2022 National Security and Strategic Studies, International Relations and Diplomacy, Defence, China, Article, Indian Army, PLA, LAC, WTC, Dai Bingguo, Tawang, Yangtse, Xiaokong

PLA after 20th Party Congress: “Combat Readiness to Fight and Win Wars’’

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

The much awaited Chinese 20th National Party Congress (NPC) is behind us, and the National Peoples’ Congress is about four months away. The Work Report by President Xi Jinping has been analysed ad infintum. President Xi Jinping has said that China�

November 15, 2022 International Relations and Diplomacy, China, Article, CPC, Taiwan, CMC, PLA, LAC, Gen He Weidong, Integrated Theatres

Political Control on Use of Combat Power

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Russia-Ukraine War 2022 is emphasizing on a time-worn question: what is the balance between political control and military operational expertise in deciding military strategy? Consequent to the attack on Kerch Bridge, Russia struck with high-precisio

October 28, 2022 International Relations and Diplomacy, Article, Ukraine, Infrastructure, Military Strategy, Kerch Bridge, missile attack, political control